One Chance
by faith4ever131
Summary: Rose is a dancer recently moved from another state. She's adapting to the crowded city life when she meets one ragged boy on the street. Setting up a story of well... what do you want it to be? For Fran.
1. Chapter 1

This short story is for Fran. You're a great friend happy birthday.

I stood in a crowded street I didn't know the name. I looked around. Manhattan seemed like a panic. I was the small fish and my competitors were the great white sharks ready to rip me into peices... Small bloody peices... I was just a girl from suburban Pensilvania. How would I know anything about a city?

I had to go to 34th street. That was where my hotel was. But where was I? I took a deep breath. Oh this was great.

"Hey!" I shouted without thinking.

A boy turned around and stared with me. He had had dark curls, a light tan and he wore a ragged older clothes. I stared at him for a moment and turned my head to a side to study him at a different angle. I'd noticed the categories of "insanely rich" and "tragically poor". I fell somewhere in between.

"Do you know where 34th street is?" I asked.

"I'm busy, can't now." He mumbled.

I could here his thick acsent.

I glared at him. He was busy? I took a deep breath. Calm down Rose don't get upset.

"Please," I put on an act. "I'm desperate. I really need this."

He turned around and looked at me.

"Look I'm pretty busy right now... You're first time in the city?" He asked.

I thought of saying no. But I don't know what he'd say...

"Not exactly... It's just been a long time." I lied.

I'd always been a good liar. Maybe I hadn't lied as much about needing this. I'd only trained in ballet all of my life. Now here was my chance standing write in front of me. Sometimes life doesn't just throw you a second chance.

"I'se got papes to sell few blocks away I'd walk you..." He he hesitated. "As long as you don't stand to close."

He held a large stack of newspapers in his hands. He must have been a newsboy, I thought. I nodded and quickly walked over to him. He motioned me closer. I stayed a good foot away from him as we walked. I didn't want to break our little agreement.

"So," I began attempting to make conversation. "you have a name?"

"I got a name. Real question is what is it."

I was kind of surprised he'd responded. He didn't seem to enjoy my company, or well any company that is.

"Well you're right about that. What is your name?"

He looked at me.

"I got a question better, why you so interested?" He shot me a look.

I decided to be honest.

"Trying to avoid awkward."

"How incredibly interesting." He muttered under his breath.

I felt a rush of anger come over me.

"Hell if you didn't want me here this damn bad you could have just not answered!"

He nodded his head and smiled.

"Nah, that wouldn't be very polite now would it?"

Oh yes, I thought we have a very odd one today.

"By the way the name be Mush." He continued. "And yours?"

"Rose."

What kind of name is Mush? Well I decided questioning something like that would be the wrong idea. I just smiled and nodded.

"What brings you here?" He asked.

"Dance-"

"Oh I've got a prima ballerina on my hands huh?" He laughed.

"That is not funny." I said sternly.

"If I hadn't laughed it wouldn't have been funny. You see the thing is, I did laugh. It's funny."

"Not really." I muttered

He took a long breath.

"You're the one who wanted to start talking." He said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." I mumbled.

My parents would tell me I was mouthing off again. I looked at the cobble stone ground to distract me.

"Here we are, 34th street." Mush announced.

"Thanks." I said.

"Maybe in some way our paths will cross again."

I nodded.

"Maybe."

Hopefully not. I searched for the hotel. I found the hotel in a minute or two. I opened the door and walked inside. It wasn't anything "fancy". It was still what we could afford. An older woman behind a desk looked up once she heard the creek of the large wooden door. She had dark hair and wrinkled skin. I suppose she was in her fifties.

"Name?" She said mechanically.

"Rose Elizabeth Miller." I said as I started to walk to the desk.

She nodded and scribbled my name in the book. Once she saw me looming over her she slammed it shut.

"Room 102. Third floor." She glowered.

She slid a key across the desk. I took the key. I decided not to use the elevator. I hate elevators. I walked upstairs. I was out of breath by the time I got to the third floor.

"Room 102... Room 102..." I muttered under my breath.

I opened the door to a decent sized room. It had what anyone would expect from a room, a bed, a table and a night stand. I sat my suitcases down by the door. I was tired... Not like it was late, just extremely tired from travel. I laid down and slept.

When I woke up my hair was a disgraceful mess (as always). I managed to get a brush through it. My hands were shaking. Today was going to be big. I grabbed one of my suitcases. I walked downstairs. I decided to go to get a newspaper. I'd gotten used to my parent getting things for me, but not now.

I hurried out the door, without taking a look at the woman at the desk. I walked down the street when,

"Extra! Extra!"

I turned to see Mush standing with his stack of newspapers. Lovely... I took held up my money.

"I'll take one..." I said.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He laughed.

"Just give me a newspaper." I hissed.

"Money first."

I gave him the cash, he gave me the newspaper. Fair trade.

"Now I have one more question." I said.

"What would that be?"

"Where's the New York Ballet?"

He rambled off a few directions. I nodded and started walking off.

I reached it soon I could here my heart pounding in my chest. This was the audition. My one chance. My hands were shaking. I opened the door, this was it. Several others dancers were dressed in pointe shoes and leotards. Were we supposed to come dressed?

"We get dressed in the room, just down the hall." Someone told me.

I hurried down the hall and walked into the room. I quickly dressed. I sighed my name in an audition book. I waited in the lobby until it was my turn.

"Rose Elizabeth Miller." Someone called.

Here goes...

Two hours later, I'd done my best. I'd danced my hardest.I was walking out of The New York Ballet.

"Hello." I heard.

The acsent unmistakable.

"What do you want Mush?" I snarled.

"How did it go?" He asked.

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Better than fine." I said proudly.

"Oh yeah? That's nice."

He seemed to hate me less today.

"I've got to get back to my hotel."

"Hey," He started. "maybe we can talk sometime."

"Alright."

I walked away.

I think things are now set up. Please review, thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

**So a lot of people seemed to really like this book. Originally this was to be one chapter, but I'm continuing this book. I hope you like it.**

_Dear mother, father and Jonathan,_

_I have auditioned for the ballet. I am not sure if I've been accepted yet. It takes about a week before results come in. I do adore my room in the hotel. Although I know this hotel is not permanent I still love it. I hope you are all doing alright. How is the shop? I hope you are okay. Perhaps you can visit me one day. We can visit the statue of liberty although I have not seen it closely, but from what I have seen it is beautiful._

_With love,_

_Rose._

I folded the note I had just written. I did miss my mother, father and brother. I put the letter in an envelope. It was a small letter, but it got my point across. My father owned a small shop in my home town. It was a very small, close knit town. Everyone in the town knew each other in one way or another. I missed that small town, because here things were much different. Back home people would have looked up and said hello to you, weather they liked you or not. Here that did not happen. I missed my friends. Most of my friends were in dance. Many of them danced for the fun of it, not a career like me. I went to school, but I didn't really "fit in".

I decided not to think of it. I closed the envelope. Now I just needed to find a post office. I figured maybe the woman at the front desk would know where one would be. I walked out of the room and down the three flights of stairs.

"Excuse me." I said.

The woman turned to look at me.

"Yes?" She asked sharply, glaring at me.

I looked down and cleared my throat.

"I was wondering if you could direct me to a post office, please."

She let out an aggravated sigh.

"Yes... 33 East 17th Street, right next to the book store."

I gave her a polite smile and said, "Thank you."

I walked out of the hotel and rolled my eyes. What was her problem? Well at least I got a post office and a book store out of it. I did like reading, it was something I often used to to pass my time (other then dancing). I started walking down the street.

"Well, well, look who it is. Hello Prima Ballerina." I heard.

I didn't even need to turn around, Mush. Just ignore him and he'll go away, like a fly.

"How are we doing on this fine day?" He asked sarcastically.

The sky was dull and grey and it looked like it might rain, I was hopping that after yesterday I'd just never see this boy again, but of corse this happened, things like this always happen with my damn luck.

"Oh come on," He hissed. "talk to me."

Sadly sometimes ignoring the fly did not work, sometimes you had to swat the damn thing!

"Can't you just leave me alone!" I snapped.

"Oh, she speaks." He laughed.

I shot him a glare. _Damn right I speak._ I just rolled my eyes and said nothing even though there was so much to say. I had no idea how to get where I was going. I was hoping to find someone who would direct me there, but nobody would with this _thing _handing off me. I sighed.

"Angry, are we? Well ,I ain't going nowhere." He stated.

I gave him another sharp long glare.

"You're sick." I muttered under my breath.

"I already know that." He laughed.

"You weren't meant to respond to that, you know."

"Of corse I know."

He gave me a sweet smile, it was so sweet it made me sick.

"Can you tell me where 33 East 17th Street is?" I mumbled.

"Oh, you mailing that?" He gestured to my letter.

"Maybe I am."

"I'll walk you there follow me." He said.

I followed him block after block. Until we finally reached the post office.

"Here it is!" He said.

I simply walked in, no goodbye. Sadly he followed me inside. He peeked over my shoulder.

"Pensilvania huh?" He asked.

I just nodded.

"Sending it home?"

"Yes," I sighed. "I am sending it home."

"You got family?"

"A brother, a mother and a father."

"What's your brothers name?"

"To many questions!"

I mailed my letter quickly. I was rushing. I was desperate to get away. I walked out of the post office.

"I think I can make my way back on my own now, thank you." I muttered.

"Are you sure about that?" He said in a sing song voice.

"Very sure."

"You no, I really don't think that's a good idea." He shook his head.

"Well, that's too bad, because I think that it's good idea."

"Okay, good luck finding your way back home."

He turned and started to walk away. He's gone, yay (maybe that thought was a little childish)! He was wrong, I'd tried to memorize my way here while we were walking. But it didn't matter right now anyway, because I was going to the bookstore.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up in the morning with my hair a frazzled mess. I sat up groggily. I mumbled something that was completely impossible to understand, it was probably not even English... I don't know. I grabbed my brush which was on the nightstand and painfully forced it through my hair. After I was done it felt like I had pulled out twenty percent of my hair using a brush (even though I didn't). I sat the brush back on the night stand. I sucked in by stomach as as physically possible as I squeezed into a corset. Then I slid a dress over it. I looked in the mirror, not to awful. At least my hair wasn't a complete mess. I looked tired.

"Oh well." I mumbled

I looked at the clock in the corner of my room. It was nine fifty six. I had somewhere to go. I walked out of the room, down the stairs and through the lobby not taking a single look at he older woman behind the front desk... I didn't need that negativity, I was already to nervous. I started walking down the street.

"Why hello." I heard.

Mush, oh damn it! I turned around her had a friend with him. He had blondish, orangeish hair, he was a bit paler then Mush and he had an eyepatch. Yes an eyepatch. Rather odd... I chose not to comment on it.

"Do you just seem to run into me every singe day o are you just stalking me?" I asked.

"Well I think I run into everyday."

"Now you'er probably just stalking me."

Eyepatch boy laughed. Mush glared at him. I smiled, I had a small victory. I turned around and started to walk.

"Hey where you going?" Eyepatch boy called after me.

"Away from you guys." I answered.

"Oh come on! Talk to us!" Mush called.

"Nope, I'm busy." I shook my head.

But soon they were walking with me. Now Mush was creeping me out...

"So, this is my friend," Mush explained. "Kid Blink."

Wait... What? Kid Blink? Kid Blink! Where do they get these names- Oh wait he has an eyepatch.

"Do you have a normal name?" I asked.

"Yeah Louis." He gave me a kind smile.

Maybe Louis wasn't as insane as his friend.

"So where are we going?" Mush asked.

"Where are we going? Where am _I _going." I hissed.

"Just answer the question." Mush muttered.

"New York Ballet." I said. "I'm seeing if results came in."

"Mush told me that you're a dancer." Louis told me.

"Really? Well, well, well looks like you are a bit too interested in me."

Mush laughed, "No, no."

Blink just rolled his eyes looked at me and nodded. I laughed.

"The list probably won't be there anyway. I'll most likely have to wait at least a week." I explained to Louis.

"Well I wish you the best of luck-"

"So do I!" Mush chimed in.

"Yes Mush, we know. By the way Rose please call me Kid Blink or Blink. It's a newsies thing." He laughed a bit.

"Okay... Blink." I smiled.

I knew it would take me some time to get used to these nicknames.

"Oh here we are!" I exclaimed. I turned and pointed to Kid Blink and Mush. "You two stay here."

I walked inside. There was a cork board covered in papers. I hurried up to it. Newspaper clippings, old cast lists (ironic) and other things scattered around the board, but not what I was looking for.

"Mrs can I help you?" A woman with wire framed glasses asked me.

"No I'm fine. Thank you though."

She smiled nodded and walked down a hallway. I sighed disappointed and walked out of the building.

"How did it go?" Louis asked.

There was a cheery expression on his face.

"Nothing. Nothing at all, not a thing what so ever." I sighed. "I hate suspicion."

"Well at least you didn't get your hopes and dreams bashed to a bloody pulp." Mush tried.

I stared at him for a long, _long _time.

"Okay." I mumbled awkwardly.

"So, Mush and I were talking while you were talking while you were inside and we wanted to know if you wanted to come to a party tonight." Louis explained.

"Oh really?" I smiled.

"Yeah, you know where Tibby's is?"

I shook my head.

"Okay then Mush and I will pick you up." Blink said. "By the way, don't dress up."\

"Okay."

Mush's face lit up.

The boys walked my home and told they'd be back tonight. I knew not to dress up, but I put on some jewelry anyway. I put on my mothers necklace and a golden bracelet. I fixed my hair, so I looked a bit better then just decent. I looked much better. I smiled at my reflection.

In a few hours there was a knock at my door. I opened the door to see the Kid Blink and Mush standing at my door.

"Hello." I greeted.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Mush asked.

"Yeah."

Well they hadn't dressed up what so ever. I already knew I was going to stick out.

"How far is the..."

"Tibby's" Blink finished.

He laughed a little.

"Yeah Tibby's." I said.

Mush, Blink and I walked into the city. The sky had become florescent shades of orange and purple. Street lights already lined most of the cobble stone streets. On other streets the candles inside of the lamppost were just being lit. It was a nice time to walk the city streets.

"Pretty eh?" Mush said interrupting my thoughts.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

"Well you just wait about an hour, the city will be bright with lights and against the night sky." He smiled.

I looked over at him. He looked untroubled and carefree.

"You really love this city don't you?" I asked.

He smirked.

"You know it. I mean it is my home."

I nodded. He really seemed to have a sort of passion for it.

"Yeah, I thought so."

He wasn't so obnoxious anymore. I cocked my head to the side and looked at him.

"What? Why you looking at me like that?" He asked.

I'd grown used to his thick New York accent.

"Nothing." I shrugged.

"No, it's not nothing. Now tell me."

"I don't know... You just seem different, that's all."

"What do you mean?"\

"Well, you seem different right now. You aren't so irritating."

"I irritate you? My, my, I haven't noticed!" He laughed sarcastically.

I laughed a little to myself.

"Alright you guys here we are." Blink cut in.

Tibby's was a small quaint place. More for a single meal then a party. They escorted inside. Let me simply say it was _not _a tea party (not like you'd really expect one from these boys). There was beer (oh boy was there beer), whisky, screaming and shout. These kids were wild.

"So Rose," Blink started as he led me to a table. "I'd like you to meet Jack, Boots and David. This is Rose."

"Hi." I said sweetly.

Before I could say another word I was pushed to the next table.

"Okay so this is Specs, Racetrack and Skittery." He told me. "You guys this is Rose."

"Hi." I said again.

He pushed me to the next table and the next. I meet all of the newsies in Manhattan. I was also expected to learn their names in a second. No, it doesn't work. I just tried to aviod names most of the time.

"Hey, Rose where you from?" Jack asked me.

"Pennsylvania." I answered.

"Interesting."

"Never been to a city before?" David asked.

"No, first time."

"Ever had a beer before?" Skittery mumbled, he staggered up to me.

He was drunk off his ass.

"Uh... no." I said in a quiet voice.

"Well then she needs one!"

"I don't know if I really need a-"

"Yes you does."

He handed me a glass bottle. I just stared at it for a while.

"You open it like this." Skittery took the bottle and opened it for me.

Hesitantly I took a sip of the bottle. I made a face.

"That's disgusting." I hissed.

"What?"

"_That's disgusting._"

"So you're a dancer?" David asked.

"Oh, yeah. I've been dancing since I was very young."

"Mush told us. He wouldn't shut up about it." Jack rolled his eyes.

I laughed.

"Alright!" Somebody shouted in the back. "You boys have been here for an hour, you're holding up the dinner rush!"

"I'm sorry Tibby, but you know we're having a party." Boots said.

"Parties, always parties! I swear, come on pack out of here."

Everybody started getting ready to leave. I started walking out when I heard, "Hey Rose!"

I turned to see Mush.

"Hello." I said.

"Can I walk you home?"

"Sure."

"Told you the city at night was nice didn't I?"

"Yes." I smiled.

The lights against the dark sky were dazzling. We soon reached my hotel. We said our goodbyes and walked off. Once I reached my room I collapsed on my bed and slept.


End file.
